Author Topic: LIVE: Orbital's Cygnus ORB-2 (CRS-2) RNDZ/BERTHING/ISS STAY UPDATES  (Read 41657 times)

Online Chris Bergin

And there it is!

8:53am Central for completion of berthing!

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/07/orb-2-cygnus-iss-rendezvous-berthing/
« Last Edit: 07/16/2014 12:55 pm by Chris Bergin »
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Offline bolun

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« Last Edit: 07/16/2014 01:38 pm by bolun »

Offline John44

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Orbital Sciences/Cygnus-2 - Rendezvous and Berthing to the ISS
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8994

Offline gwiz

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Orbital’s Cygnus spacecraft successfully berthed to the International Space Station at this morning at  6:36 a.m. EDT. On board were 32 CubeSats and 10 internal payloads from NanoRacks’ customers...Please find a copy of the press release attached or at this link: http://nanoracks.com/wp-content/uploads/NanoRacks-Release-26-Cygnus-Successfully-Berthed-to-ISS.pdf
That's a third Cubesat that wasn't announced in the press kit.  What does GEARSSAAT do exactly?  Whose satellite is it?

Offline Artyom.

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My congratulations  :) !


Offline Lars_J

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Nice, making it look easy! :)

Offline baldusi

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Congratulations! They make it look so simple and easy. I still wonder, is there a special "surprise" for Gerst?

Offline jacqmans

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Orbital’s Cygnus Spacecraft Successfully Berths with International Space Station

-- Launch, Rendezvous and Berthing Operations of Company’s Third Space Station Cargo Logistics Mission Proceeded Smoothly --

-- Unloading of Over 3,600 Pounds of Cargo Scheduled to Begin Tomorrow with 30-Day Stay at Station Planned --

DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 16, 2014-- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), one of the world’s leading space technology companies, today announced that its Cygnus™ cargo logistics spacecraft successfully completed its rendezvous and approach maneuvers with the International Space Station (ISS) and was grappled and berthed with the Station by the Expedition 40 astronaut crew earlier this morning. After Cygnus was launched into orbit by Orbital’s Antares™ rocket on Sunday, July 13, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia, it completed a series of thruster firings and other maneuvers bringing the spacecraft in close proximity to the ISS. Final approach to the Station began at about 3:00 a.m. (EDT) this morning, culminating with the Station’s robotic arm grappling the spacecraft at 6:36 a.m. when it was about 30 feet (10 meters) from the ISS. Cygnus was then guided to its berthing port on the nadir side of the ISS’ Harmony module where its installation was completed shortly before 10:00 a.m. this morning.

“Our third cargo mission for NASA has proceeded very smoothly, from the Antares launch from Wallops this past Sunday to this morning’s rendezvous, grapple and installation at the Space Station,” said Mr. David W. Thompson, Orbital’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “I am very proud of our Antares and Cygnus teams for their exceptional performance on the mission to deliver vital equipment and supplies to the crew aboard the Station. I also want to pay tribute to our former Orbital colleague and NASA astronaut, the late Dr. Janice Voss, for whom this spacecraft is dedicated.”

Cygnus is delivering approximately 3,670 pounds (1,665 kilograms) of cargo and science payloads to the Expedition 40 astronauts. The crew plans to open the Cygnus hatch and make initial ingress into its cargo module tomorrow. Cygnus will remain berthed at the ISS for approximately 30 days before departing with an estimated 2,800 pounds (1,300 kilograms) of disposable cargo. Orbital will also conduct a series of in-orbit tests designed to provide data to help enhance the vehicle’s performance for future uses. It is scheduled for a safe destructive reentry over the Pacific Ocean five days after departing the Station. Including a demonstration mission conducted in 2013, this is the third berthing with the ISS by a Cygnus spacecraft, which collectively have delivered approximately 8,400 pounds (3,800 kilograms) of supplies and science experiments to the orbiting laboratory.

Under a $1.9 billion contract with NASA, Orbital will use Antares and Cygnus to deliver up to 44,000 pounds (20,000 kilograms) of cargo to the ISS over eight missions, including the mission currently underway, through late 2016. For these missions, NASA will manifest a variety of essential items based on ISS program needs, including food, clothing, crew supplies, spare parts and equipment, and scientific experiments.

About Cygnus

Orbital developed the Cygnus cargo spacecraft under a joint research and development program with NASA. Cygnus consists of a common Service Module (SM) and a Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM). The SM incorporates avionics, power, propulsion and communications systems already successfully flown aboard dozens of Orbital’s LEOStar™ and GEOStar™ satellites. The PCM, designed and built by Thales Alenia Space under a subcontract from Orbital, is based on the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) previously used with the Space Shuttle. With a full load of cargo and fuel, the standard-configuration Cygnus weighs about 5,200 kilograms at launch and generates 3.5 kilowatts of electrical power while in orbit. It is capable of extended-duration missions of a year or longer in space.
 
Jacques :-)

Offline arachnitect

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Congratulations! They make it look so simple and easy. I still wonder, is there a special "surprise" for Gerst?

You mean world cup related? Maybe, but remember Cygnus was sealed up last Tuesday (8th).

Offline Targeteer

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Crew reports the hatch is open and the vehicle is clean without debris or condensation
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

Offline Targeteer

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Just had a brilliant, zenith ISS pass--if only docking had been delayed a day... I saw something dim, ahead of and on track of ISS really moving.  Is the 2nd stage still in orbit?
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

Offline Targeteer

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crew reports ingress complete
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

Offline Targeteer

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crew given the go to remove masks and eye protection
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

Offline edkyle99

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Just had a brilliant, zenith ISS pass--if only docking had been delayed a day... I saw something dim, ahead of and on track of ISS really moving.  Is the 2nd stage still in orbit?
Yes, about 200 km below ISS and decaying quickly.  It will probably reenter within a week or two.

 - Ed Kyle
« Last Edit: 07/17/2014 01:40 pm by edkyle99 »

Offline grey

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July 16, Cygnus Arrival.

from Oleg Artemyev's blog:
http://www.artemjew.ru/en/2014/07/17/cygnus-arrival/

twitter: @OlegMKS - http://twitter.com/OlegMKS/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/olegmks

Offline John44

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Offline Targeteer

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The crew just requested and received permission to use a MERLIN scientific "fridge" to keep some of the newly arrived goodies fresh for a longer period of time.  Earlier one astronaut sounded very happy eating an apple :)
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

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